


A Nara-Shaped Hole in the Wall

by GremlinSR



Series: ByakuNara Thursdays [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angry Hyuugas, F/M, Family Fluff, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 14:51:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17082386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GremlinSR/pseuds/GremlinSR
Summary: Neji's day was going quite well before he happened upon a rather shocking display. Or: Hinata and Shikaku break the news to Hiashi.





	A Nara-Shaped Hole in the Wall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scythe195](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scythe195/gifts).



> I decided to do little reaction one-shots instead of a full chapter of everyone's reaction for the followup I promised. Mostly because this way, with the state of my wrist, I can actually get you guys some ByakuNara Thursdays again before The End of Time.
> 
> Read Of Pirates, Princesses, and Deer Herders first if you're new to ByakuNara Thursdays <3

The cool morning air was a relief after the heat of the hot springs. Neji’s hair was leaving a damp spot on his back, soaking into his clothes, but he wasn’t bothered. He was planning on going straight to his room to finish getting ready for his day, anyway. He loved the feeling of accomplishment that an early start gave him. He’d already trained for two hours with Lee and Tenten before they’d agreed to warm themselves in the public baths.

He inclined his head to the Hyuuga standing at the gates. There was no longer snow on the ground, but a layer of frost covered the path and crunched under his feet. The sun had risen fully while he’d been soaking, and the birds that braved the winter climate were starting to chirp. A few of his clan members were up and he greeted them, heart light from the calm beauty of the day.

He paused as he passed by the main meeting room of the compound. There were raised voices coming from behind the thin walls. He frowned when he heard what he thought were Hinata’s low, soothing tones, followed by...was that Hiashi? His uncle never raised his voice.

Neji was just about to say to hell with propriety and activate his Byakugan to see what was going on when a tremendous crash made up his mind for him. He darted around the other side of the building, where the ruckus had come from, and gaped in a very un-Hyuuga-like manner at the scene before him.

There was a hole in the side of the wall. A person-sized hole, to be exact. The man who had obviously been the one to make it was lying sprawled across the dirt, covered in drywall dust. He was one of the last people Neji would have expected to see in such a position. Nara Shikaku didn’t seem harmed, but he didn’t move to get up, either, when Hiashi stalked through the hole towards him, face twisted with rage.

Hinata darted out after him, eyes wide and wringing her hands. “Father, please! You don’t understand -”

“I understand enough, Hinata. The man who pretended to be my friend took advantage of my hospitality. Used our relationship to seduce my daughter, who is half his age -” Neji jolted at his words, and anger slowly began to replace his shock. Head of the Nara clan or not, he would not stand by while somebody disrespected his cousin.

“I wasn’t pretending. I am your friend,” Shikaku said. He was sitting up and watching Hiashi warily, but he didn't make a move to stand. “I value your friendship. I just - I love her.”

It was the wrong thing to say. Hiashi resumed stalking forward, and Neji thought he might actually kill him. Hinata rushed to stand between them. Neji almost sighed when he took in her raised chin and squared shoulders. It was not often she got stubborn, but when she did...well. It was never good for the person opposing her.

“Father. Please, just listen. Shikaku wasn’t using your friendship to get to me. He truly values it!”

Hiashi had stopped again but had angled his body so that he could look around Hinata and glare at Shikaku. Nara stood and started dusting himself off, but his attention was still on Hiashi, who was less than assured by her words. “If that were true, he would not be here asking to court my daughter. Are you pregnant?”

Hinata blinked rapidly at the blunt question, and she shook her head while Shikaku sighed and looked up at the sky. “N-no! We just - we just love each other. Neither of us meant for it to happen, father. But we do. And I - I want to marry him. Just because he loves me doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you, too!”

Both men glared at her and Neji pinched the bridge of his nose. Hiashi wasn’t someone who ran around declaring love for his male friends. He doubted Shikaku was, either. Neji studied Shikaku. His expression softened into something close to fondness, and he was leaning towards her almost unconsciously. He looked completely unconcerned with the fact that somebody had just tossed him through a wall. From what Neji understood, it wasn’t something he would usually allow somebody to do.

He took a deep breath to clear his mind of anger. Hinata was a grown woman, and a strong one at that. She wouldn’t be pulled in by pretty words or smooth lies. Shikaku had no reputation as a womanizer, either, and even if he were he was too logical to anger the Hyuuga clan head just so he could scratch an itch.

Neji concluded that he was telling the truth about loving her. He wasn’t happy about it, but he wasn’t going to disrespect Hinata by dismissing her feelings. Though he’d be watching Nara very, very closely. If he made a wrong move, he’d get much worse than a trip through a wall.

“Uncle. I believe you should hear them out,” he said. “Perhaps in a less public location.” All three of them looked over at him, then followed his gaze to the two gaping older women carrying loads of laundry standing about ten feet away.

Hiashi’s face went blank when he realized they had an audience. “You will keep this to yourselves,” he said to the women. They both nodded before escaping down a side path. Neji assumed everybody in the village would know about this little scene by the end of the day.

Hiashi turned back to Shikaku with cold eyes. “Come. We will retire to the smaller tearoom. Neji. You’ll join us.”

Neji didn’t mention his wet hair or unsuitable garb. He just nodded before moving over to gently take Hinata’s arm and lead her towards the right building. She looked shell-shocked and on the verge of tears. “Your taste in men has not improved,” he said once they had pulled ahead.

Shikaku was talking in low tones to Hiashi behind them, and Neji wished he would wait until they were out of the public eye. If Hiashi killed him, he’d rather it be in private so that they had a chance of hiding the body.

Hinata’s eyes moved to him, and after a moment her lips turned up in a small smile. Neji respected Naruto, of course, but he’d never thought that Hinata would be happy with someone who could only give her a small part of himself. Naruto belonged to Konoha first and foremost, much more so than other shinobi. It would only get worse when he was Hokage. “I disagree,” she said primly.

Satisfied that she was determined to go through with this, he nodded. Her shoulders relaxed when she realized he would support her. He squeezed her arm, and they didn’t speak again until they were seated at the tea table.

Neji took the spot next to Shikaku and Hinata sat on the other side with Hiashi next to her. There was an awkward silence before Shikaku spoke. “I know I’m older than you would have preferred for Hinata,” he said in a low, steady tone, and she smiled at him encouragingly when he glanced over at her, “but I assure you, I love her and will treat her with the utmost respect.”

Hiashi was holding himself very still, and he and Shikaku stared at each other for a long time before he looked away. “You wish to formally court, then?” It sounded like the words had been forced from him, and Hinata looked down at the table. Even if she wouldn’t back down, Neji knew she hated upsetting her father.

“Yes.”

“You were her commanding officer.”

“It was I who asked Shikaku out first, father. He never made any untoward advances,” Hinata said.

Hiashi pressed his lips together. “You will date for no less than six months before becoming engaged.”

Both Hinata and Shikaku looked less than thrilled about the stipulation, but considering he was no longer throwing people through walls, Neji thought they should probably take what they’d been given without complaint. Hinata must have agreed, because she ducked her head and murmured, “Of course, father.”

The next fifteen minutes passed awkwardly, and Hiashi spent much of it glaring at Shikaku, who for his part seemed a little sulky but relieved. Neji could already see the calculation in his eyes whenever he looked at Hiashi, a familiar expression from the time he’d spent doing missions with Shikamaru.

His uncle was a stubborn and proud man, but Neji knew that a Nara with a plan was nothing to turn your nose up at. Eventually, Hiashi would forgive Shikaku and most likely give true approval for the match. Hinata must have thought so, too, because by the time they left the room there was a smile on her face.

Neji realized with no small amount of horror that he was going to be Shikamaru’s kind-of-uncle in less than a year. They’d probably have to attend family dinners together. He decided that no one could blame him for the cup of sake he poured himself once he returned home, despite the early hour.

**Author's Note:**

> Next will be Shika's reaction :)


End file.
